I am trying to figure out which widget development platform is superior. I want a cross-browser widget and so I a thought either the Google or Yahoo solution will be best. They both seem to be using the same technologies - JavaScript, HTML, XML, etc.
Any thoughts on which is a better platfrom in terms of development, performance and any other unmentioned factors?
Personally I've seen a presentation from Christain Heilmann a Yahoo Developer Evangelist, and what Yahoo are doing with widgets, especially putting a framework in place so you can install widgets onto Yahoo's homepage is pretty cool. I'd recommend to look at Yahoo's stuff further go to their developer network. Also Christian's talk availible here, I would say gives a good overview of it.
Yahoo Widgets doesn't really "use HTML". They have an object (Web) that you can use to embed an HTML page, but you usually don't make widgets with HTML.
It's also not possible to make the Web object transparent, so it will be an ugly rectangle on your widget :)